Local and General News

Timaru Herald, Volume CXLVIII, Issue 21556, 19 January 1940, Page 6

Local and General News

Menace to Transport Industry “The non-licensing of horse-drawn vehicles is a definite menace to the transport industry in many towns and it is likely to grow more serious with the introduction of petrol restrictions,” said Mr T. H. Langford, at a sitting of the No. 3 Transport Licensing Authority yesterday. Transport organisations, he added, should take up the question with Borough Councils. Circling the Square When certain amendments to the regulations governing one of the University examinations were agreed to by Tuesday’s meeting of the Senate, it was remarked that amendments to these particular regulations had been in process for several years, and now the regulations as freshly amended had got back to the form in which they were originally drawn up before the amendments began. “Is that an example of squaring the circle?” asked one member of the Senate. “It is more like circling the square,” suggested another member. The Private Hire Car “I consider the private hire car a menace to the taxi-cab industry and unless there arc special reasons I don’t see why such licences should be granted, ’ observed Mr T. H. Langford, at a sitting of the No. 3 Transport Licensing Authority in the Automobile Association rooms yesterday. “We’re going to get right after those people who abuse their licences for rental cars,” he added later. “It may affect the whole of their licences. The rental licences are for a definite purpose and I am going to get right after those who don’t use them as they should.” German Owl’s Defenders In several districts of New Zealand there are still some farmers who contend that the German owl does more good than harm. That notion is scouted by Mr Edgar F. Stead. a well-known naturalist, of Christchurch, whose accurate observations of bird life have appeared in several of his books. He is a keen protector of native birds and a vigorous destroyer of their enemies. On his estate he has found clear proof of the German owl’s guilt as a murderer, and therefore this alien is under sentence of death. A torch is used at night to detect the owls, which are then shot. Honorary Rangers A letter received by the Forest and Bird Protection Society from a correspondent in Otahuhu mentions the formation of the Northern Patrols Ranger Service Young men are trained for good work in conservation of native forests and in the checking of vandalism. In one reserve these enthusiasts have cleared away an acre of gorse and half an acre of blackberry and have repaired about two miles of fencing so that it is now strong enough to keep out the cattle which formerly strayed in and damaged native bush. “It is really gratifying,” the writer states, “to see the great increase of native birds on this reserve since the patrols took charge.” Tui Supremacy Akaroa is one of the places where tuis do not take second place to starlings, thrushes and blackbirds. Usually in high summer the descendants of the birds which were brought from England many years ago do not sing, but tuis have joyful chants the whole year round. They have a habit of chortling while they are feasting on nectar or berries; it is a kind of perpetual thanksgiving for the good things of Mother Nature. In Akaroa the chiming of bellbirds can be heard through the long summer days. These concerts are given mainly in plantations of man-numerous gardens and orchards. There are clumps of bush which may serve as occasional places of refuge for the native birds, but their principal haunts are the orchards and gardens. Conquest of Gorse The Wellington City Council has spent many thousands of pounds on futile grubbing and burning of gorse on various parts of the hilly Town Belt during many years. Thousands of seeds lie snugly in the ground, well protected from the flames, and up they come. Also many of the old roots send up shoots, and soon there is another thorny cover on the slopes It is mentioned by members of the Forest and Bird Protection Society that an economical method of conquering gorse is by planting suitable trees which will shade out the pest, for this weed needs sunlight to survive. In some localities Ngaios can do this useful work. In other places the hardy quick-growing treelucerne may be preferable. These trees can also act as good shelter for native trees, and the helpful “nurses” can be cut out when their term of usefulness is finished. While they are playing the part of protectives they have long seasons of blooming and the flowers, rich in nectar, attract tuis and bellbirds, Leisure-time Activities Recently the Labour Department, through its Youth Centres, conducted investigations into the leisure-time activities of youths and girls in New Zealand. This inquiry showed a most marked deficiency in hobbies, reading and wholesome social activities. Of the 1157 youths and girls interviewed a large number of them indulged in no wholesome recreative activity whatever. The Physical Welfare and Recreation Branch has made the organising of recreation clubs one of the main planks in its platform. The pioneer effort in this direction is the Boys’ Club formed in Invercargill by the Southland Recreation Officer. It is reported that already the physique and health of the boys have shown noticeable improvement. Boys who found themselves with nothing to do in the evenings now occupy their leisure hours with recreation in various forms at the Club. The Branch does not intend to compete with existing organisations and as every person engaged in social welfare knows, there is an unexpected field large enough to occupy all the attention that can be brought to bear for years to come.